A Big Payoff

Genesis 12:1-8

Every person can see the benefits of obedience to God by looking at the expectations and the promises placed on Abram.

Introduction:

Occasionally we see lottery jackpots rise to over $200 million. At times like this those people who wouldn’t normally buy a lottery ticket might be tempted to have a go at fate. You can see on the news the people who sell the tickets being overwhelmed by the people who are trying to get a ticket for a chance to win big.

It is the allure of getting a record breaking pay out when they buy their ticket. There is some allure to being able to not having to work and knowing that you will have money for the rest of your life.

Abram had some really big promises made to him, but before he could cash in on those promises he had to make some sacrifices. This morning I want to point out the sacrifices that Abram made and also the benefits to be reaped.

Expectation I. Leave your country

A. To begin with God gives Abram a list of the things he wants him to leave behind in order to receive the promises offered later on. He first asked him to leave his country. This might not be a big deal for most people. It was something he would give up. It seems like every time a person moves they leave something behind. I am sure the same was true for Abram. He would leave some things behind. It might have been a small request, but it was something God was asking for.

Expectation II. Leave your people

A. This was a little bigger deal. When you move from one place to another it can be hard to leave your house behind, and it can be hard to get rid of some of your stuff. The hardest part would be leaving friends behind. We just had some friends that moved to North Carolina. I am glad for the opportunity they have, but I am sad that we will not be able to see them again any time soon. Rather than living five minutes away, it now requires some thought and some planning. Abram had to leave his people.

Expectation III. Leave your father’s household

A. This was probably the hardest thing to give up. Abram was likely close to his father and his family all of his life. I would guess that it would be hard for the family to understand why he had to go. People identified themselves as a part of a family group. By leaving his father’s household he would not longer be associated with that family. It is likely that Abram would be the next in line to receive the recognition he father had received. He would inherit all of his father’s things and he would be the next head of the household. By leaving his father’s household he would be giving up all of those rights.

B. Abram had some decisions to make before he packed everything up and moved off to the place God wanted him to God. He had to let go of some things. Some of these things had very strong tradition tied to them. Abram realized that without some scrafice he would not be able to get the things God was promising. God had placed expectations on Abram before he gave him the things he was promising.

Promise I. I will make you a great nation

A. If Abram had stayed w-ith his father he might have become the patriarch of his family. He might have been the one that people said they were connected with. That would only extend as far as his family. God says he will make Abram a great nation if he will go and do what God wants him to do. He has to make a choice to be a great family man or to be a great nation. Either one seems highly unlikely since Abram is 75 years old and probably has little promise of a future. There are not a lot of 75 year old men who are fathering babies. In order for Abram to do this he had to let go of his country. He had to let go of the things that were important to him.

B. I have heard rock climbers say that there are times when you need to let go of the rock in order to make progress. You might need to let go of a good gripping place in order to move to the next level. You can’t do that if you don’t first let go of something that is solid. I would guess that Abram’s country was something that was solid for him. If he wanted to receive God blessing, he need to let go of the familiar and the comfortable.

C. Maybe there are things that are familiar and comfortable that you are hanging onto dearly. You don’t want to let go of them because you are afraid you might lose something if you do. Sometimes in order to receive God’s blessing you need to let go of something that is comfortable and enjoyable. It might not even be something that is bad, it is just comfortable. If you want God’s blessing, you might need to let go of it.

Promise II. I will bless you

A. God promised Abram that if he would do as he was commanded that he would be blessed. When I let my mind wander on that one there are a lot of things that can mean. Blessing can mean an abundant harvest. After the farmer harvests his crops and discovers that he has done well, he says God has blessed me. When a person has a child, they call that a blessing from God. When a person has many children those children are called blessings in the Bible. When a person is able to live their life free from danger it can be called a blessing. If a person experiences an abundance of supplies it can be called a blessing. So when God says that he will bless Abram it can be any number of things, but we can be assured that it is something good.

B. It seems that much of Abrams blessings were connected with a large number of descendents. It can also be connected with the land that Abram claimed. Abram was promised blessings if he would obey God. He could be assured that something good would happen if he would just od what God wanted him to do. It is God’s goodness that would be received if Abram obeyed.

C. Why should we not think that God would not bless us if we obey? God wanted Abram to obey and he would be blessed. God still wants us to obey and we will be blessed.

Promise III. I will make your name great

A. Probably most people would like to have people gather around and say nice things about them at a funeral. Some people have the opportunity to make a great impression in their life, while others will only have the opportunity to make people take a look at them. Not everyone can be a superstar, but we can live a life that is pleasing to God. This is really what is important.

B. One of the sacrifices Abram made was leaving his father’s household. This is a common occurance for us today. For Abram it was giving up his connection with his family. It was like he was turning his back on his family and sacrificing any connection with his family. He would be giving up any inheritance that might be coming his way. He would be a man without a family. The flip side of that sacrifice was that if he did that, God would make his name great. Before Abram would have been known as Abram the son of Terah. That connection would mean nothing where he was going. God was going to replace that void by giving Abram a great name to replace what he was giving up.

C. Abram is given a great name because he is willing to make a sacrifice. He is willing to part with some things that have no eternal value. Through his obedience Abram is given a great name that is widely recognized. Three of the world’s major religions have connections with Abram. He became a great man because he obeyed God.

D. Once again we will not have a great name if we set out to make that our goal. However, if we set out to honor God, we might find that he gives us a great name. Our passion needs to be serving God. That will only happen if we are able to put our own pride aside.

Promise IV. You will be a blessing

A. This promise really demonstrates how important Abram’s obedience was. It is through Abram’s heir, Jesus Christ, that salvation is available to anyone in the world. This is certainly why so many religions trace their roots to Abram. It is because Abram was told that he would be a blessing. In the New Testament Jesus is spoken of as the fulfillment of that promise. All people on the earth are blessed through Abram. Abram was the forefather of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave himself so that anyone who believes on Him can be saved. Salvation and blessing are offered to everyone. However, not everyone accepts the blessing and the salvation that Jesus Christ is offering. It is only if they accept the gift of salvation.

B. When God told Abram that he would use him if he would give up some things and follow him, he was offering Abram a great gift. He would have a gift for Abram if he would come and get it. In that same way Jesus offers everyone a relationship with God through him, which includes eternal life. It is offered it is not granted. So if someone chooses not to accept that gift it will not be granted. Everyone needs to accept God’s gift of salvation.

C. Most of you have probably already accepted God’s gift of salvation. It took your act of receiving God’s gift of salvation. It is not something that was guaranteed to you because you are a good person, or because you belong to a Christian family, or because you live in a Christian nation. Salvation is for those who accept it. So if you have never accepted God’s gift of salvation don’t assume that you have it.

Promise V. Land

A. This is another of the promises from God that seems to be the flip side of what Abram was asked to give up. God told Abram to leave his land and his father’s family. These would be two things which would tie him to land. Since Abram did what God asked, God gave Abram land. In v. 7 God says, "To your offspring I will give this land." It was a land that he would never have gotten if he had not done what God asked him to do. He did what God wanted and he received a land that God promised him. It was a land not just for Abram, but it was for Abram’s offspring.

Conclusion:

Abram was called upon to give up some very significant things. They are things that probably would not matter to us, but they were things that were important to Abram. In the end Abram received many times more than what he gave up. God blessed him since he was willing to give up.

What kind of things might God be asking you to give up. What kind of things are the things God wants you to let go of. They don’t need to be bad things or wrong things. They could be neutral things. Maybe God would like you to give those things up.